2017 Eclipse Across America

There is a total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017 for all of North America. An eclipse from coast to coast such as this hasn’t been seen since 1918!Those in the Rockford area will be able to see a “crescent sun” as the new moon comes between Earth and Sun. As the moon slides in front of the sun, it will block all but 10-15% of the sun’s light, depending on how far south you live. An eclipse takes almost three hours from start to finish. The time when most of the sun will be covered for our area is 1:16 p.m.At NO time will it be safe to look at the sun during this eclipse because we in the Rockford area are outside of the path of totality. But safe viewing devices are easily constructed. On Sunday, August 20 from 1 to 4 pm and Eclipse Day, August 21 from 10 am to 2 pm, visitors are invited to Discovery Center’s eclipse event to make their own no-cost eclipse viewers. Visitors will get hands-on with the “hows” and “whys” of eclipses, check out solar projections from Discovery Center’s telescopes, and explore space science. Plus, thanks to the American Astronomical Society, Discovery Center has a limited number of eclipse glasses to give away on Sunday!